Hybrid Solar Tube Panels by Naked Energy – March 2012

March 29th, 2012

A company called Solyndra pioneered the solar tube but this new invention by UK-based Naked Energy may just take cylindrical solar to a whole new level. Called Virtu, the product includes an integrated photovoltaic cell in a vacuum tube to generate both electricity and warm water at the same time. The setup keeps the PV cool to optimize energy production and maximizes space with a combined PVT solution.

Naked Energy lays bare global expansion plans

Crisp Green 2012 – 3 British Clean Technologies With A Bright Future

March 27th, 2012

Silicon Valley might have a corner on electronics, but a dark horse has been creeping up the ranks of clean tech innovation…Britain! In fact, the land of the London Fog was recently placed 10th in a new global ranking of the 38 countries providing the best conditions for clean-technology start-ups.

Here are three UK companies making quite a commotion with their creative and practical clean technologies. Keep an eye out for them!

The Engineer

March 27th, 2012

UK renewables company Naked Energy has invented Virtu, a hybrid solar panel that simultaneously heats water and generates electricity.

The technology, developed by Naked Energy’s chief engineer Richard Boyle, integrates an electricity-generating photovoltaic cell into a hot-water-generating solar thermal panel. The solar thermal panels are placed into vacuum tubes and are unaffected by ambient temperature.

Through combining the two technologies, Boyle was able to address one of the fundamental problems facing photovoltaic cells.

‘When photovoltaic panels get hot they become less efficient. For every 1º rise in temperature [from 25°C], you lose half a percentage point of efficiency,’ said Simmons. ‘A very efficient photovoltaic panel has a maximum efficiency of approximately 18 per cent. But by the time you get up to 65°C, which is quite a normal temperature on the face of a solar panel, you’re down to something like four per cent efficiency.’

Anonymous | 27 Mar 2012 1:06 pm
Brilliant device. Congratulations to all concerned. Now just build a great big factory to produce them here in the UK and export them round the world. Perfect.

Trevor Best | 27 Mar 2012 4:22 pm
About time too! Having one system on the roof to do one thing when there is a need for two systems, electric and generation and hot water was always half a job and a waste of space. The report is very illuminating where it states only 4% effectiveness when the photovoltaic panels get hot. Companies who supply these systems seem to have forgotten to mention this!!

Clean & Cool Mission

March 23rd, 2012

The Clean and Cool Mission is a competition-led trade mission to San Francisco for twenty of the UK’s best, high growth potential cleantech companies ready to do business in the US and overseas.

Come and join us there. Clean and Cool Mission 2012 will take place 24th- 31st March 2012